Massaging glove



J&,885,572

5. OOD

MASSAGING GLOVE File Spt. 5. 1931 UNITED s'rA'rss PATENTv orf-'lcs ammc. woon, or mrunix, oomcrrcnr, Samson To Holwrro n. manson um yIOSEPHIHAHNQBOTH OF JERSEY CITYQNEW nssacrnc Gnovx appliquemeafseptember s, 1931. serial 1ro. 561,348.

This invention relates to massaging apparatus and has particularreference to .ap-'- pliances for manual control and'operatmn.

More specifically, amon the objects of the invention is to provide aevice in the nature of a hand covering such as a mitt, mitten, or gloveto be worn upon the hand of themasseur, the device having peculiarfac1l1t1es for imparting to the subject or patient a variety of distinctand improved mampulations such as rubbing friction and traction due tothe suction applied directly to the surface of the flesh. v A

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe spec1icat1on proceeds. Y

With the aforesaid objects v1n view, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in theirpreferred embodlments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and 1 1-lustrated on the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated bythe Same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a face view of a glove showlng a preferred construction orembodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the same on the line 2 2.

Fig. 3 is a diagram indicating in side elevation the different varietiesof manipulations that may be performed with this device.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized whenall of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and thesame structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less thanthe whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains, that the same may be incorporatedin several differhand ofthe manipulator. The illustration is that of a right hand appliance.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing I show a device ascomprising a main hand. covering 10 having finger or iinger tip 'stallsor portions 11 and a thumb portion 12. This device is made of anysuitable strong tough material such as solid rubber of a good quality,the device being made by molding or the like. Y The finger tip portionsand also the thumb may preferably be provided with means such astransverse ribs or ridges 13 which, when the hand is applied to thepatient and reciprocated in the direction of the elbow, either by a fullarm movement orfmerely the drawing of the lingers incident to thecupping of the hand, cause the surface of the patients body to besubjected to an invigorating frictional effect. This effect may bevaried by vibrations ofthe fingers and of the finger tips in thedirection transverse to that justdescribed, having in view particularlythe series of conical points 14 formed adjacent to the tip ends of thedevice. It will be noted'that the tips 11 may be of a suitable length ormaterially shorter than the lingers of the operators hand, as for thepurpose of obtaining a much longer palm or unitary formation of the handportion 10.

One of the coordinated features of the improvement may include a seriesor multiplicity of massaging elements or vacuum cups l5 formed along thepalm portion of the device. The base or body of the device along whichthe cups are formed, preferably in an integral manner, is materiallystronger and thicker than the back portion of the glove at 16, but theentire construction may be suiciently flexible to insure that when thepalm of the mn/zsseurs hand is brought into snug engage t with thesurface of the pa- 'tients iesh ,d given more or less pressure, aconsiderable number at least of the cups tion of the cups a pronouncedtension on the flesh F at right angles to the main body thereof assuggested at f in Fig. 3. While this traction is being performed on theflesh due to the cupping action of the hand, the natural movement of thefinger tips may be in a transverse direction or toward the cups therebyeffecting a combined friction an traction upon the patients body. Itwill be observed also that the formation of the cups, with theirrelatively sharp rims or edges 15', affords facility for another methodof imparting frictional massage to the patients flesh. That is to say,the entire hand and all 15 portions of the attachment may be passedfrictionally over or along the flesh of the patient either with orwithout combining therewith the clipping action above described.

As thus shown and described, the invention will be seen to consistfurther in a massaging glove provided with finger tip stalls which maybe closed, if desired, and having their bases located approximately atthe outer knuckles of the fingers, the palm wall portion of the glovebeing stronger or less flexible than the back wall thereof, though thelatter is of lesser importance as to its construction, size, material,or thickness; that the bases merge with one or both of said walls, andthe latter being' suitably interconnected with each other as by agradual merging; and the stalls having suflicient strength for propermassaging, or for a slight arching, if that be desired, and hence thefront walls of the stalls may have approximately the same degree ofexibility as the palm wall, whereby the arch may extend continuouslyalong the palm and the stalls. On the palm wall may be carried vacuumcups of any suitable char- 4o acter, and the rims whereof may afford agood massaging action and may be even less thick than the back wall ofthe glove; while the stalls carry irregularities which are more readilyslidable over tne flesh than the cups are. The continuous archingmentioned is easily effected due to the provision of the separate fingertip stalls.

I claim: ,f 1. As a new article of manufacture, massaging deviceconstituting a complete flexible glove includingA independent stalls forthe outer ends `of the fingers, said stalls being closed at their outerends and having their bases located approximately at the outer 55knuckles of the fingers, said glove also including a main tubularportion having a palm wall and a back wall the outer ends of which mergewith said bases, said walls being of different degrees of flexibilityand merging 50 one into the other at opposite sides of the gloove,thereby to coact with said stalls when the glove is on the hand to causecupping of the hand to arch the palm wall lengthwise away from the ieshbeing massaged, the front wall portions of the stalls being ofsubstantially Athe same degree of ilexibilit as the palm wall to givesuch arch a tendency to continue lengthwise of the stalls; incombination with massaging' instrumentalities carried b the palm side ofthe gloove on said palm wa l.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a massagin device constituting acomplete glove inclu ing independent stalls for the outer ends of thefingers, said stalls being closed at their outer ends and having theirbases located approximately at the outer knuckles of the fingers, saidglove also including a main tubular portion having apalm wall anda backwall the outer ends of which merge with said bases, said walls being ofdifferent degrees of flexibility and merging one into the other atopposite sides of the glove, thereby to coact with said stalls when thegloove is on the hand to cause cupping of the hand to arch the palm walllengthwise away from the flesh being massaged, the front wall portionsof the stalls being of substantially the same degree of flexibility asthe palm wall to give such arch a tendency to continue lengthwise ofsaid stalls; in combination with massaging instrumentalities carried bythe palm side of the glove on said palm wall, and on said stalls, theinstrumentalities on the palm wall including vacuum cups and theinstrumentalities on the stalls being spaced projections more readilyslidable over the flesh than said cups.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a massaging device constitutingacomplete glove including independent stalls for the outer ends of theflngers, said stalls being closed at their outer ends and having theirbases located approximately at the outer knuckles of the fingers, saidglove also including a main tubular portion having' a palm wall and aback wall the outer ends of which merge with said bases, said wallsbeing of different degrees of flexibility and merging one into the otherat opposite sides of the glove, thereby to coact with rsaid stalls whenthe glove is on 110 the hand to cause cupping of the hand to arch thepalm wall lengthwise away from the flesh being massaged, the front wallportions of the stalls being of substantially the same degree offlexibility as the palm wall to give such arch a tendency to continuelengthwise of said stalls; in combination with massaginginstrumentalities carried by the palm side of the gloove, saidinstrumentalities including irregularities on the stalls and vacuum cupson the palm wall, said cups having rim portions of less thickness thanthe back wall of the glove.

4. A massaging glove having a pliable palm portion and flexible lingertip receiving portions, the glove being substantially coextensive insize with the hand of the wearer, but the palm portion beingconsiderably longer than the palm of the wearer and the finger tipportions being correspondingly 130 shorter, and massaging projections ontlie palm and finger tip portions, the projections on the palm portionbeing larger thanthose on the finger tip portions for greater'frictionalmassaging action than the latter, and said projections on the `palmportion coacting with those on the inger ti portions in areing massaginaction of t e love, and the back wall of t e glove being thmner than theghn portion and adjacent portions of the ger tip portions.

In testimony whereof I aix my si ature.

7 SIDNEY C. W D.

